Spiritual Gifts

tonight I urge you with all the hope of my heart to pray to understand your spiritual gifts to cultivate use and expand them even more than you ever have you will change the world as you do so the scriptures teach us that spiritual gifts are given to those who ask of God who love him and who keep his Commandments quote all have not every gift given unto them for there are many gifts and to every man is given a gift by the spirit of God to some is given one and to some is given another that all may be profited thereby unquote looking through a gospel lens God endows his children with many spiritual gifts making them them spiritually gifted people Covenant keeping members of the church are bestowed with gifts of the Spirit which include the gift of a testimony of Jesus Christ as our savior the gift of the Holy Ghost the gift of faith to heal and be healed of receiving Miracles and the gifts of wisdom and knowledge the Lord invites us to earnestly seek the best gifts even spiritual gifts he gives spiritual gifts to bless us and to use in blessing others I have observed a learning curve associated with spiritual gifts exercising spiritual gifts requires spiritual exercise having the guidance of the Holy Ghost in your life requires spiritual work this work includes fervent prayer and scripture study it includes keeping your covenants in God's Commandments it includes worthy worthily partaking of the sacrament each week what is the fruit of exercising spiritual gifts they include promptings from the spirit that help us face our daily needs and show us what to do and say blessings of peace and comfort as we listen and act on spiritual promptings the Holy Ghost magnifies our abilities and capacities to far exceed what we can do on our own these precious spiritual gifts will help us in every aspect of our Our Lives the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest spiritual gifts Latter-Day Saints enjoy how important is this gift president russem Nelson answered this question categorically when he stated that in coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding directing comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost latterday Saints should be gifted Covenant keeping people nonetheless it remains for each of us to seek to exercise our spiritual gifts and then invite and learn to recognize the promptings of the spirit four guiding principles to assist us in this crucial spiritual Endeavor are stand in holy places stand with holy people testify of holy truths listen to the spirit your ability to invite and recognize the promptings of the spirit will develop a step at a time becoming more attuned to the language of the spirit is like learning another language it is a gradual process that requires diligent patient effort because the mezic priesthood has been restored both Covenant keeping women and men have access to all the spiritual blessings of the church or we might say to all the spiritual Treasures the Lord has for his children every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances has direct access to the power of God those who are owed in the house of the Lord received a gift of God's priesthood Power by virtue of their Covenant along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power Satan and his minions will constantly contrive roadblocks to prevent you from understanding the spiritual gifts with which you have been and can be blessed discover and develop spiritual gifts Heavenly Father gave us these gifts to help us identify perform and enjoy the work he has for us some of us wonder do I have any gifts again the answer is yes to every man and woman is given a gift by the spirit of God that all may be profited thereby a number of spiritual gifts are documented in scripture but there are many others some might include having compassion expressing hope relating well with people organizing effectively speaking a writing persuasively teaching clearly and working hard so how do we come to know our gifts we can reference our patriarchal blessing ask those who know us best and personally identify what we're naturally good at and enjoy most important we can ask God he knows our gifts since he gave them to us as we discover our gifts we have a responsibility to develop them even Jesus Christ received not of the fullness at first but developed from Grace to Grace sometimes we feel that we don't have any particularly important gifts one day a discouraged sister pleaded Lord Lord what is my personal Ministry he answered notice others it was a spiritual gift since then she has found joy in noticing those who are regularly forgotten and God has worked through her to bless many while some spiritual gifts may not be prominent by the world standards they are essential to God in his work our muscles grow only when we use them I have come to realize that spiritual gifts behave in the same way they also need to be exercised to grow the spiritual gift of faith for example is not just a feeling or a mood it is a principle of action that frequently appears in the scriptures linked to the verb exercise just as reading and learning about muscles is not enough to build muscle reading and learning about faith without adding action is insufficient to build Faith thanks to the restoration of the Gospel we can come to understand how our heavenly father helps us develop spiritual gifts it is more likely that he will give us opportunities to develop those gifts rather than just granting them to us without spiritual and physical effort if we are in tune with his Spirit we will learn to identify those opportun opportunities and then act upon them if we seek more patient we may find ourselves needing to practice it while waiting for a response if we want to have more love for our neighbor we can foster it by sitting next to a new face at church with faith it is similar when doubts come to our minds trusting in the Lord's promises will be required to move forward in this way we are exercising spiritual muscles and developing them into to sources of strength in our lives it will probably not be easy at the beginning and it might even become a big challenge the words of the Lord through the prophet Moroni apply to us today and if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness I give unto men weakness that they may be humble and my grace is suff for all men that humble themselves before me for if they humble themselves before me and have or exercise faith in me then will I make weak Things become strong unto them let's accept the invitation president Russell M Nelson and intently come unto the Savior by identifying those muscles that need more spiritual activity and starting to exercise them this is a long distance a marathon Race rather than a Sprint so do not forget those small but constant spiritual activities that will strengthen those important spiritual muscles if we want to increase our faith then let's do things that require faith I bear my witness that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father his son Jesus Christ loves us he came to this world to show us the way and then gave his life voluntarily to give us hope the Savior invites us to follow his perfect example to exercise our faith in him and his atonement and to expand all the spiritual gifts that we have been blessed with our heavenly father loves his children he has blessed each with physical and spiritual gifts let me speak of each when you sing I am a child of God think of his gift to you of your own physical body the many amazing attributes of your body attest to your own divine nature important as is the body it serves as a tabernacle for one's eternal spirit our Spirits existed in the premortal realm and will continue to live after the body dies the spirit provides the body with animation and personality in this life and in the next spirit and body when joined together become a living soul of superal worth because one's spirit is so important its development is of Eternal consequence it is strengthened as we communicate in Humble prayer with our loving Heavenly Father the attributes by which we shall be judged one day are all spiritual these include love virtue Integrity compassion service to others your spirit coupled with and housed in your body is able to develop and manifest these attributes in ways that are vital to your Eternal progression spiritual progress is attained through the steps of Faith repentance baptism the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end including the endowment and sealing ordinances of the Holy Temple just as the body requires daily food for survival the spirit needs nourishment as well the spirit is nurtured by Eternal truth we know that prophets of many dispensations such as Adam Noah Moses and Abraham all taught of the Divinity of our heavenly father and of Jesus Christ our present dispensation was introduced by heavenly father in Jesus Christ when they appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1820 the church was organized in 1830 now 182 years later we remain under Covenant to take the gospel to Every Nation kindred tongue and people as we do so both givers and receivers will be blessed ours is the responsibility to teach his children and awaken in them an awareness of God long ago King Benjamin said believe in God believe that he is and that he created all things both in heaven and in Earth believe that he has all WI wisdom and all power both in heaven and in Earth believe that you must repent of your sins and forsake them and humble yourselves before God and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you and now if you believe all these things see that ye do them close quote God is the same yesterday today and forever but we are not each day ours is the challenge to access the power of the atonement so that we can truly change become more Christlike and qualify for the gift of exaltation and live eternally with God Jesus Christ and our families because of Christ's atonement we are eligible to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and its accompanying spirit gifts these gifts are attributes of godliness therefore every time we acquire a gift to the spirit we become more like God no doubt that is why the scriptures enjoin us on multiple occasions to seek these gifts President George quanan taught no man ought to say oh I cannot help this it is my nature he is not justified in it for the reason that God has promised to give gifts that will eradicate our weaknesses if any of us are imperfect it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect faithfulness and obedience enable us to receive these important gifts and frequently the Lord's timing helps us to recognize them some individuals who hear or read this message erroneously May discount or dismiss in their personal lives the availability of The Tender Mercies of the Lord believing that I certainly am not one who has been or ever will be chosen we may falsely think that such blessings and gifts are reserved for other people who appear to be more righteous or who serve invisible Church callings I testify that The Tender Mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us we we realize that as evil increases in the world our spiritual survival and the spiritual survival of those we love will require that we more fully nurture fortify and strengthen the roots of our faith in Jesus Christ the Apostle Paul counseled us to be rooted grounded and settled in our love for the Savior and our determination to follow him today and the days ahead require more focused and concentrated effort guarding against diversions and carelessness but even with the increasing worldly influences around us we need not fear the Lord will never desert his Covenant people there is a compensatory power of spiritual gifts and divine direction for the righteous this added blessing of spiritual power however does not sell settle upon us just because we are part of this generation it comes as we strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keep his Commandments as we come to know him and love him this is life eternal Jesus prayed that they might Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent as we know very well having faith in Jesus Christ is bringing being a true disciple is more than a one-time decision more than a one-time event it is a sacred ongoing process that grows and expands through the seasons of Our Lives continuing until we kneel At His Feet as our constant companion the Holy Ghost gives us additional power or strength to keep our covenants he also sanctifies us which means to make us free from sin Pure Clean and holy through the atonement of Jesus Christ the process of sanctification not only cleanses us but it also endows us with needed spiritual gifts or Divine attributes of the Savior and changes our very nature such that we have no more disposition to do evil each time we receive the Holy Ghost into our lives through faith repentance ordinances Christlike service and other righteous Endeavors we are changed until step by step little by little we become like Christ so how can we apply the doctrine of Christ more fully in our lives one way would be to make a conscious effort each week to prepare for the sacrament by taking some time to prayerfully consider where we most need to improve we could then bring a sacrifice of at least one thing that keeps us from being like Jesus Christ to the sacrament altar pleading in faith for help asking for necessary spiritual gifts and covenanting to improve during the coming week as we do so the Holy Ghost will come into our lives to a greater degree and we will have have additional strength to overcome our imperfections these four words receive the Holy Ghost are not a passive pronouncement rather they constitute a priesthood injunction an authoritative admonition to act and not simply simp ly to be acted upon the holy ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and these four important words are spoken as we receive this ordinance each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire to seek to work and to live that we indeed receive the Holy Ghost and its attendance and spiritual gifts for what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him and he receive not the gift behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him neither rejoices in him who is The Giver of the gift the spiritual gifts described in the Book of Mormon are present in the church today promptings Impressions Revelations dreams Visions visitations miracle and you can be sure that the Lord can and at times does manifest himself with power and great Glory Miracles can occur Mormon said has the day of Miracle ceased or of angels ceased to appear and Minister unto the children of men or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them or will he so long long as time should last or Earth shall stand there should be one man upon the face thereof to be saved behold I say and do nay for it is by faith that Miracles are wrought the Savior senior Apostle Peter that same Peter who with James and John conferred the milisic priet upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Calvary declared qualities we should seek to be partakers of the divine nature he named Faith virtue knowledge Temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness charity and diligence and don't forget humility so I ask how would our family members friends and co-workers say you and I are doing in developing these and other spiritual gifts It Is by God's and Amazing Grace that his children can overcome the undercurrents and quick sense of the deceiver rise above sin and are perfected in Christ though we all have weaknesses we can overcome them indeed it is by the grace of God that if we humble ourselves and have faith weak things can be become strong throughout our lives God's grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify our abilities and enrich our lives his grace refines us his grace helps us become our best selves whenever we willingly act with faith in Jesus Christ and take another step especially in uncomfortable step requiring change or repentance we are blessed with strength I testify that the Lord will guide us to and through our next steps he will more than match our efforts with his power if we are willing to keep trying repenting and moving forward with faith in our heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ spiritual gifts are promised not only to those who love God and keep all of his Commandments but also gratefully to those of us who seeketh so to do strength is given to those who keep seeking and trying we must counter the natural man's tendency to procrastinate to put off or to give up as we progress along the Covenant path we will make mistakes some multiple times some of us struggle with behaviors or addictions we feel powerless to overcome but faith in heavenly father and in Jesus Christ is a principle of action and power if we are willing to act we will be blessed with strength to repent and with the strength to change we fail only if we fail to make another faithful step forward we will not we cannot fail if we are Faithfully yoke to the savior he who has never failed and will never fail us I promise that each Faith filled steps will be met with help from Heaven guidance will come as we pray to our Heavenly Father rely on our savior and follow him and listen to the Holy Spirit strength will come because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ healing and forgiveness will come because of God's grace wisdom and patience will come by trusting in the Lord's timing for us protection will come by following God's living Prophet some of the decisions that will determine your Eternal Destiny include how will you choose to care for and use your body what spiritual attributes will you choose to develop your spirit is an eternal entity the Lord said to his prophet Abraham thou was chosen before thou was born the Lord said something similar about Jeremiah and many others he even said it about you your heavenly father has known you for a very long time you as his son or daughter were chosen by him to come to Earth At This precise time to be leaders in his great work on Earth you were chosen not for your bodily characteristics but for your spiritual attributes such as bravery courage Integrity of heart thirst for truth hunger for wisdom and a desire to serve others you develop some of these attributes premm morally others you can develop here on Earth as you persistantly seek them a pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery the strength to place reason over appetite self-mastery builds a strong conscience and your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult tempting and trying situations fasting helps your spirit to develop dominance over your physical appetites fasting also increases your access to Heaven's help as it intensifies your prayers why the need for self-mastery God implanted strong appetites within us for nourish ment and love vital for the Human family to be perpetuated when we Master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws we can enjoy longer life greater love and consumate joy it is not surprising then that most Temptations to stray from God's plan of Happiness come through the misuse of those essential god-given given appetites controlling our appetites is not always easy not one of us manages them perfectly mistakes happen errors are made sins are committed what can we do then we can learn from them and we can truly repent we can change our Behavior our very dire desires can change how there's only one way true change permanent change can come only through the healing cleansing and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ he loves you each of you he allows you to access his power as you keep his Commandments eagerly earnestly and exactly it's that simple and certain the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of change a strong human spirit with control over appetites of the flesh is Master over emotions and passions and not a slave to them that kind of freedom is as vital to the spirit as oxygen is to the body freedom from selfs slavery is true liberation my dear brothers and sisters each day is a day of decision and our decisions determine our destiny one day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment we will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ we will account for decisions that we made about our bodies our spiritual attributes and how we honored God's pattern for marriage and family that we may Choose Wisely each day's decisions for eternity is my Earnest prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen

Channel: Witnesses of Christ

Views: 33,789

Keywords: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spiritual gifts

Id: t9d7Jv4lu1U

Length: 30min 14sec (1814 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 12 2024